4542. When thou fleddest from before Esau thy brother. That this signifies when truth was set before good, is evident from the representation of Esau, as being the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine natural (see n. 3322, 3494, 3504, 3576, 3599). That the signification is when truth was set before good, may be seen from the explications given about Jacob (Genesis 27), when he fled before Esau, for the cause of his flight was that Jacob had taken away the birthright from Esau, by which is signified that truth had set itself before good; for Jacob there represents the truth of the Lord’s natural, and Esau its good. The reason why truth had set itself before good was that when anyone is being regenerated, truth is apparently in the first place; but after he has been regenerated, good is in the first place and truth is in a secondary place (see n. 3324, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3610, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337). Hence it is, that “when thou fleddest from before Esau thy brother” signifies when truth was set before good.

4244. And I had ox and ass, flock and manservant and handmaid. That this signifies acquisitions therein in their order, is evident from the signification of “ox and ass, flock and man-servant and handmaid” as being instrumental goods and truths both exterior and interior, thus acquisitions in their order. That an “ox” is exterior natural good, and an “ass” exterior natural truth, may be seen above, n. 2781; and that a “flock” is interior natural good, a “manservant” its truth, and a “handmaid” the affection of this truth, is evident from the signification of each, as explained several times above. These goods and truths are the acquisitions here treated of, and that they are named in their order, is manifest; for the exterior are the ox and the ass; and the interior are the flock, the manservant, and the handmaid.